Sometimes LIFE seems to be insistent on sending me a message until I pay attention. The sermon at church yesterday was on patience. It was about letting the other person finish their thought, and then pause, have patience before wading into the conversation.
My Lenten reading today was on Patience. Patience as in waiting for God to answer. My CoDependent reading today was on....yup, patience.
Patience according to one definition is: The state or quality of being patient; the power of suffering with fortitude; uncomplaining endurance of evils or wrongs, as toil, pain, poverty, insult, oppression, calamity, etc
Oh my goodness - that is not at all what I expected, that sounds like 'the patience of Job', so I had to look up other definitions.
From Merriam-Webster : able and willing to bear, not hasty or impetuous.
Hmm that seems closer. I have always thought of patience as 'waiting my turn', or 'not trying to rush an outcome.'
Patience is tough. I am a CoDependent in recovery, and I am not always patient in waiting for the miraculous promises that this particular twelve step group reads to us every week.
Promise 2: I am no longer controlled by my fears. I overcome my fears and act with courage, integrity and dignity, and
Promise 11, I trust the guidance I receive from my Higher Power and come to believe in my own capabilities.
Yes, after seven years (and a boatload of patience) I am coming to believe in those promises. And I have plenty of examples of prayers being answered - in God's time, but I am first to admit that to me, God's time can be awfully slow.
But patience, dear girl, patience.
I am notorious for finishing my husband's sentences and assuming I know where his words are going, and it drives him batty. Plus, I am usually wrong.
So, I have received the message about patience LOUD and CLEAR. I will allow others to finish their sentences, or even paragraphs and pause before weighing in.
It's the least I can do while waiting for God to take care of my prayers.
I hear the voice from that 1970s television show 'KungFu'....."patience, grasshopper, patience."
Not something I am good at, but damn it I am going to try.
